Parasia
PARASIA ' '''These nasty endoparasitic worms, (also called helminths) are both terrible and amazing in the way they work. They burrow into the body of any nearby animal that fits their needs and then they latch onto the nearest good thick blood vessel. They have been known to live anywhere inside the body, from behind the brain to under the stomach. Once they have access to the blood stream they inject the host with a cocktail of chemicals, the most physically noticeable one is the mutagenic substance that is similar to hydrogen peroxide, an oxidizer commonly found in bleach. This malicious chemical created by enzymes in the Parasia attacks everything in the hosts body right down to the DNA. The damage causes the afflicted creatures body to twist and grow into a barely recognisable form which is created to make the perfect environment for the worm. The animals immune system attempts to attack the strong mutating toxins, but the parasite will always gain control. This biological fight causes the animal to fall seriously ill and weak, the immune systems efforts will show up in ugly legions and a loss of patches of skin. The toxins waste away the muscles sometimes to literally nothing, but the fiendish parasite also produces various healing chemicals and an anesthesic to keep the animal subdued and alive while it mutates. '''Stage 0' Because of the astonishing effects of the healing substances the worms create they can be found in hospitals being studied by the medical professionals in the hopes of being able to discover how to make and use the compounds the worm creates. However they have to be kept sedated to stop them disappearing into any nearby animals, so they are usually kept in a sedative slime in glass jars. The jars must be kept safe because if it cracks the slime may dry out and loose its ability to keep the worm paralyzed. http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x320/lunasif/Felkyo%20pets/Book%20images/parasitejarparch.png Stage 1 If the jar does start to show signs of cracking like in the picture below then the endoparasite must be rehomed in a new jar before it awakens. If not the powerful slippery helminth may escape and disappear into some unlucky creature. http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x320/lunasif/Felkyo%20pets/Book%20images/parasitebreakparch.png Stage 2 If the Parasia does manage to break free then all nearby animals MUST be kept safely quarantined until it is captured. Since it only infests certain animals (see below) it wont live off humans, but it is still dangerous to deal with one without some kind of protection. They are eel like as they are covered in a thin layer of secreted slime on top of semi transparent but very powerful muscle tissue. They are also equipped with four sharp and strong pincers that can easily shred through flesh, which is how it burrows into the animal. http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x320/lunasif/Felkyo%20pets/Book%20images/parasitefreeparch.png Stage 3 The Parasia only tend to inhabit three main types of animals, fish, lizards, and mammals, though they obviously need a host that is a good size for them, so animals like mice or small lizards wont be affected. Most humans are also too thin or insubstantial for these greedy worms, so they tend to go for strong and large animals, though a starving and desperate parasite will take almost any host. However it seems the Parasia have different preferences in taste, some will only take over lizards, some only fish. This is probably an evolved method of survival as it means they don’t have to all fight over one kind of host, and the worms are equally divided in taste so they are smartly spread out across the species. Also they have developed different kinds of enzymes depending on which animal they favour so the animal they prefer is easier to infest. Often the Parasia will be labelled with a letter related to the animal they were found in so that the medical students will know what kind of Parasia is it. http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x320/lunasif/Felkyo%20pets/Book%20images/mutantmammalparch.png http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x320/lunasif/Felkyo%20pets/Book%20images/mutantfishparch.png http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x320/lunasif/Felkyo%20pets/Book%20images/mutantlizardparch.png Location The hospital Other info Category:Creatures Category:Loreuna map Category:Large canid Category:Fish Category:Dragon Category:Medical journal